Process of sulphur mining



May 17 1927. 1,628,873

A.T.DRACHENBERG PROCESS 0F SULPHUR MINING Filed June 17, 1926 v 3 Sheets-Shea?l 1 s; @XM L w @is EL I' wmffbwj 3mm May 17, 1927.

A. T. DRACHENBERG PROCESS 0F SULPHUR MINING Filed June 17, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 17, 1927. 1,628,873

A. T. DRACHENBERG PROCESS 0F SULPHUR MINING Filed June 17, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet Patented May 17, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST T. DRACHENBERG, OF FREEIPORT, TEXAS.

PROCESS OF SULPHUR MINING.

Application filed June 17, 1926. Serial No. 116,585.

My invention relates to mining sulphur by the F rasch system of underground fusion. The improvement consists of means for and process of delivering the fusion fluid to the proper level to bring the same in contact with the sulphur which is to be fused.

The Frasch system of mining sulphur includes the drilling of a well from the surface down to the sulphur stiatum and then delivering to the vicinity of the sulphur a liquid heated above the fusion point of the sulphur so as to reduce the sulphur to its liquid state and to then lift the melted sulphur to the surface b v an air lift device.

This process is old and well known in they I art.

In carrying out thisprocess a well is drilled through the sulphur deposit and is then equipped l l pipes whereby the heating liquid may be delivered to the sulphur bearing horizon for the purpose of fusing the sulphur so that. it may be withdrawn in the usual manner. In carrying out the process of mining sulphur by the Frasch system, the sulphur adjacent the outlet end of the pipe conveying the fusion liquid is gradually melted and exhausted from the surrounding areas and the Water delivered to the well is al lowed to flow upwardly away from the producing stratum. It is to be understood that .the producing sulphur stratum is normally flooded with cold water and that the hot watei forming the, vehicle for conveying the heat to the sulphur stratum therefore tends to rise upwardly through the cold water and to pass through the porous stratum from which the sulphur has been' exhausted and into the cap rock overlying the sulphur stratum, which is also porous, and allows the free exit of the heated fusion liquid yto barren areas Where the heat from the fusion liquid is wasted.

Itwill thus be seen that the heat efliciency of the fusion liquid pumped into the sulphur deposit is low for the reason that the said water is diffused upwardly in convectional currents away from the sulphur. Its tendency is to go upwardly following the avenue of least resistance.v In this procedure the upper portion of the producing formation becomes exhausted of its sulphur content and the lower portion of the deposit is not reached by the fresh fusion liquid introduced into the Well.

To protect against this heat loss and to with concentrical-ly arranged attempt to direct the f usion liquid to the sulphur depositis, therefore. one of the principal objects of the invention. It. is desired in carrying out this object to form above the point of delivery of the fusing liquid a blanket of heavy mud laden liquid, which will tend to restrict the upward tlow of the fusion liquid and hold it at the bottom of the well where it will expend its heat upon the sulphur deposit. It is desired to pump into the well above the point of discharge of the fusion medium a heavy mud laden water to fill the voids in the upper porous formation and to render said formation impervious to the passage of the fusion medium which is discharged into the bottom portion of the sulphur formation. rlhe mud, when discharged at a level above the sulphur area, will tend to descend because of its increased specific gravity over that of ordinary water and the hot fusion liquid will tend to rise. It is to be understood that contrary to the usual undern standing, mud laden liquid will not easily mix with clear liquid unless there is a marked turbulence tending to agitate and mix the two liquids. The mud will, therefore, effectively serve as a blanket-to rcstrict the heated fusion liquid against upward movement.

Vhen appliedA to new sulphur deposits, which may have no voids above the sulphur prior to steaming, the invention is also of material efficiency. It is desired to progressively inject into the "oids as they are formed, and to maintain therein, a filler of slush, preventing the formation of avenues of escape for the fusion liquid. The fusion liquid is thereby held down away from the voids, and as new voids are. formed by the removal ofthe sulphur, the newly injected mud will lill them.

The filling of the voids will keep paco with the removal yof the sulphur and heat losses will be largely avoided.

Referring to the drawing herewith, I have, shown a vertical section through a sulphur well,` the formation being shown somewhat diagrainuiatically and the usual concentric pipes being disclosed largely in central vertical section. Fig. l illustrates the discharge and the upward How of the fusing medium where no mud is employed. Fig. 2 illustrates the same installation showing the mud acting to direct the fusion liquid to a lower level. Fig. 3 is a view illust-rating the usual sulphur mining installation, but with the mud delivered at a. level above the sulphur through an auxiliary well drilled for that purpose. Like numerals of reference designate like parts in all the views.

The sulphur well, which may be indicated generally by the letter A, is shown as equipped with concentric pipes for the delivery of liquid to the well in the usual .manner. The said well is, therefore, shown as having an outer surface casing l extending from the surface to the upper level of the cap rock, indicated at 2. Lying above the cap rock and extending from there to the surface is a formation 3 composed largely of clay, sand and gumbo. Below the cap rock and at the bottom of the well is a sulphur formation, indicated at 4r.

lVithin the surface casing l is the outer delivery pipe 5 having a lateral branch through which mud may be delivered to a level immediately above the sulphur stratum. This pipe is shown as having its open end extended to the upper level ofthe sulphur, but it is to be understood that this ipe may be perforated or otherwise provi ed with outlets to deliver the mud at any desired level, as shown at 5 in Fig. 2.

IVithin the mud line is the next inner concentric pipe 7, which extends downwardly to the bottom of the well, and is perforated, as shown at 8, to allow the outlet for the heated fusion liquid which is pumped therein through 'the inlet pipe 9.-

IVithin the water line thus provided is the sulphur conveying pipevlO, positioned concentrically within the pipe 7 and extending downwardly to a point within the sulphur zone and having the space between the said sulphur line and the water .line closed at the lower end of the pipe 10 by means of a ring 1l forming a seal, as well as a support, for the lower end of said pipe 10.

'An air line 12 extends downwardl concentrically with the pipe 10 and is adapted to deliver air from the lower end thereof at a point spaced abovethe lower `end of the sulphur outlet pipe 10. As clearly shown in the drawing, stuiing boxes indicated at 13, 14 and 15 close the space between the adjacent pipes at their upper ends, so that there will be no leakage of fluid upwardly around the adjacent pipes. There are valves in each of the branching pipes connected with the well installation, as indicated in the drawing.

In the operation of my device, the well may be operated through the pumping of superheated fluid inwardly lthrough the pipes 9 and 7 to be discharged through the openings 8 above the seal 11. This heating liquid will be directed laterally into the sulphur stratum and the adjacent-sulphur will be gradually fused, fiowing to the lower portion of the well where it will enterthrough the openings 8 below the seal 11 and be drawn upwardly through the sulphur line 10 through the assistance of the air lift provided through the air line 12.

In order to prevent the heated liquid from then finding an outlet upwardly in the manner indicated in Fig. l, I pump in through the inlet line 6 a volume of thick mud, which will be discharged through openings indicated at 16 adjacent the lower end of the mud line at a level above the sulphur horizon. This mud will tend to descend while the heated liquid below it willtend to rise. The result will be that both the mud laden liquid and the fusing .liquid will be directed laterally in an approximately horizontal plane, thus directing the fusion liquid to the sulphur stratum and maintaining the liquid in that vicinity.

The mud laden liquid will preferably be heated to a temperature above that of the point of fusion of sulphur. It will, therefore, serve as ablanket, holding the fusion liquid at a desired level and keeping the heat therein confined to the lower area. The mud will tend to fill the cavities and porous openings in the rock and thus assist in preventing an upward circulation of the hot water from the lower portion of the well. The heating of the mud also serves the purpose of maintaining the heat of the/ fusion medium, while it is being introduced into the well; in that the mud pipe surrounds the fusion liquid pipe. It also passes out laterally above the fusion liquid, when it is discharged in the well.

In Fig. 3, I have shown how the operation of delivering the mud to the horizon 2 above the sulphur stratum may be performed through a second or auxiliary well. The original well A. will be equipped simply to deliver the fusing liquid and to carry oft the fused sulphur. No provision for the delivery of mud will be necessary. I then put down an auxiliary well B which has a surface casing 18H extended to the cap rock, and within the surface casing is the mud line 19 extending from the surface down to the sulphur level. The lower end of this casing is perforated to allow the outward passage of mud from the pipe. An upper branch line 20 connects the pipe with a pump through which the mud laden liquid may be delivered to the mud line,

It will be obvious that the process will be the same in both the installations disclosed.-l

The application of the mud to the jformation may be continuous or intermittent, as found necessary, and it is contemplated that when the'cavities of the porous formation have been blocked by the continuous delivery of mud intothe formation, the necessity for continuous application of the mud may not arise and the delivery of the mud may be discontinued for a period until further areas are freed from the sulphur which is to be mined.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A process of subterranean sulphur mining through use of the liquid fusion system comprising delivering heated fusion lu1d to the sulphur deposit, discharging at a level above said sulphur deposit a lloW of mud laden liquid to ll the space above the sulphur and confine the fusion fluid to the sulphur zone, and removing the fused sulphur.

2. A process of subterranean sulphurnuning through use of the liquid fusion system, comprising delivering hot fusion fluid to the sulphur deposit, discharging' simultaneously a How of liquid laden With foreign material into the level immediately above the point of vdischarge of the fusion fluid, and removing the fused sulphur.

3. A process of subterranean sulphur mining through use of the liquid fusion system comprising heating a fusion liquid, delivering said liquid to the sulphur deposit, conlining said fusion liquid to the sulphur horizon by discharging a flow of hot mud into the level above said sul hur to fill the fluid passages above the sulp ur and to maintain the fusion liquid at the lower levels.

4. In the mining of subterranean sulphur through the liquid fusion system, the improvement comprising delivering the heated fusion liquid to the sulphur zone, confining the hot fusion liquid to the sulphur level by a muddy hot liquid delivered above the point'of discharge of the hot fusion liquid, nd removing the fused sulphur to the surace.

underground fusion system, the improvement comprising conveying to the sulphur stratum a hot fusion liquid, simultaneously discharging through the same Well a heavy hot mud into the stratum above the 'sulphur stratum, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto allix my Signature this 14th day of June, A. D. 1926.

AUGUST T. DRACHENBERG.

5. In mining subterranean sulphur by the 

